Lesser Sundas deciduous forests

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Lesser Sundas deciduous forests
Rinca island (16497753344).jpg
Landscape of Rinca Island
LocationLesserSundaIslands.svg
Ecoregion territory (in red)
Ecology
Realm Australasian realm
Biome tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests
Geography
Area38,842 km2 (14,997 sq mi)
Countries Indonesia
Provinces
Coordinates 8°36′S120°37′E / 8.6°S 120.62°E / -8.6; 120.62
Conservation
Conservation status Critical/endangered [1]
Protected3,228 km2 (8%) [2]
Panorama of Rinca Island, Lesser Sunda Islands. Panorama of Rinca Island.jpg
Panorama of Rinca Island, Lesser Sunda Islands.

The Lesser Sundas deciduous forests is a tropical dry forest ecoregion in Indonesia. The ecoregion includes the islands of Lombok, Sumbawa, Komodo, Flores, and Alor, along with the many adjacent smaller islands. [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Geography

The ecoregion includes a chain of volcanic islands in the Lesser Sunda Islands. The Lombok Strait lies at the western end of the ecoregion, separating Lombok from Bali. The Lombok Strait is part of the Wallace Line, a major biogeographic boundary separating the Indomalayan and Australasian biogeographic realms. The ecoregion is part of Wallacea, a group of islands that are part of the Australasian realm, but were never joined to either the Australian or Asian continents. The islands of Wallacea are home to a mix of plants and animals from both terrestrial realms, and have many unique species that evolved in isolation. [6]

The Ombai Strait lies at the eastern end of the ecoregion, separating Alor from the large island of Timor to the southeast. Although both Timor and Sumba, which lies to the south, are also considered part of the Lesser Sunda Islands, they constitute separate ecoregions.

Flores is the largest of the islands at 13,540 km2. The islands are mostly mountainous, and Mount Rinjani on Lombok is the highest point at 3,726 meters elevation. [6]

Climate

The ecoregion has a tropical wet and dry climate. The islands are the driest in Indonesia, with rainfall averaging 800 to 1,350 mm annually. Rainfall is strongly seasonal, falling mostly during the December-to-March rainy season. The driest months are June through September. [1]

Flora

The main plant communities are monsoon forests and savannas.

There are several distinct types of monsoon forest which vary with on rainfall and elevation. They include moist deciduous forest, dry deciduous forest, dry thorn forest, and dry evergreen forest. Evergreen montane forests grow above 1200 meters elevation. [6]

Fauna

The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), the world's largest lizard, is endemic to the ecoregion, and found on the islands of Komodo, Padar, Rinca, Gili Motang, and Flores.

The ecoregion has 50 species of mammals, including six endemic species: the Flores shrew (Suncus mertensi), Lombok flying fox (Pteropus lombocensis), Sunda long-eared bat (Nyctophilus heran), Flores long-nosed rat (Paulamys naso), Flores giant rat (Papagomys armandvillei), and Komodo rat (Komodomys rintjanus). Humans long ago introduced the Javan rusa (Rusa timorensis), a deer originating in Java and Bali, to Flores and several other islands. [7] The banded pig (Sus scrofa vittatus) was also brought to Sumbawa, Komodo, Flores, and other islands from Sundaland. It is a source of food for both humans and Komodo dragons.

The ecoregion is home to 273 bird species. It corresponds to the Northern Nusa Tenggara endemic bird area. [8] 17 species are endemic: [6]

There are another 12 near-endemic species – Timor cuckoo-dove (Macropygia magna), pink-headed imperial pigeon (Ducula rosacea), dark-backed imperial pigeon (Ducula lacernulata), olive-headed lorikeet (Trichoglossus euteles), cinnamon-banded kingfisher (Todirhamphus australasia), pale-shouldered cicadabird (Edolisoma dohertyi), chestnut-backed thrush (Zoothera dohertyi), Flores jungle-flycatcher (Rhinomyias oscillans), yellow-spectacled white-eye (Zosterops wallacei), Timor leaf warbler (Phylloscopus presbytes), red-chested flowerpecker (Dicaeum maugei), and flame-breasted sunbird (Nectarinia solaris). [6]

The Timor python (Malayopython timoriensis) is found on Flores.

Protected areas

A 2017 assessment found that 3,228 km2, or 8%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas. About half the unprotected area is still forested. [2] Protected areas include Komodo National Park on Komodo, Padar and Rinca islands, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other protected areas include Gunung Rinjani National Park on Lombok, Kelimutu National Park and Ruteng Nature Reserve on Flores, Mount Tambora National Park and Pulau Moyo Hunting Reserve on Sumbawa, and Tuti Adagae Recreational Forest on Alor.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flores</span> Island of the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia

Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, a group of islands in the eastern half of Indonesia. Administratively, it forms the largest island in the East Nusa Tenggara Province. Including Komodo and Rinca islands off its west coast, the land area is 14,731.67 km2, and the population was 1,878,875 in the 2020 Census ; the official estimate as of mid-2023 was 1,962,405. The largest towns are Maumere and Ende. The name Flores is of Portuguese origin, meaning "Flowers".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Indonesia</span> Geography of the country of Indonesia

Indonesia is an archipelagic country located in Southeast Asia and Oceania, lying between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It is located in a strategic location astride or along major sea lanes connecting East Asia, South Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world. Indonesia's various regional cultures have been shaped—although not specifically determined—by centuries of complex interactions with its physical environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sumba</span> Island in Indonesia

Sumba, natively also spelt as Humba or Hubba is an Indonesian island located in the Eastern Indonesia and administratively part of the East Nusa Tenggara provincial territory. Sumba has an area of 11,243.78 square kilometres, about the same size as Jamaica or Hawaii (Island). The population was 686,113 at the 2010 Census and 779,049 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as of mid-2023 was 820,506. To the northwest of Sumba is Sumbawa, to the northeast, across the Sumba Strait, is Flores, to the east, across the Savu Sea, is Timor, and to the south, across part of the Indian Ocean, is Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sumbawa</span> Island in Indonesia

Sumbawa is an Indonesian island, located in the middle of the Lesser Sunda Islands chain, with Lombok to the west, Flores to the east, and Sumba further to the southeast. Along with Lombok, it forms the province of West Nusa Tenggara, but there have been plans by the Indonesian government to split the island off into a separate province. Traditionally, the island is known as the source of sappanwood, as well as honey and sandalwood. Its savanna-like climate and vast grasslands are used to breed horses and cattle, as well as to hunt deer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timor</span> Island in Indonesia and East Timor

Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western part. The Indonesian part, known as West Timor, constitutes part of the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Within West Timor lies an exclave of East Timor called Oecusse District. The island covers an area of 30,777 square kilometres. The name is a variant of timur, Malay for "east"; it is so called because it lies at the eastern end of the Lesser Sunda Islands. Mainland Australia is less than 500 km away, separated by the Timor Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Nusa Tenggara</span> Province of Indonesia

West Nusa Tenggara is a province of Indonesia. It comprises the western portion of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the exception of Bali which is its own province. The province's land area is 19,931.45 km2. The two largest islands by far in the province are the smaller but much more populated Lombok in the west and the much larger in area but much less densely populated Sumbawa island in the east. Mataram, on Lombok, is the capital and largest city of the province. It shares maritime borders with Bali to the west and East Nusa Tenggara to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wallacea</span> Biogeographical region

Wallacea is a biogeographical designation for a group of mainly Indonesian islands separated by deep-water straits from the Asian and Australian continental shelves. Wallacea includes Sulawesi, the largest island in the group, as well as Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Sumba, Timor, Halmahera, Buru, Seram, and many smaller islands. The islands of Wallacea lie between the Sunda Shelf to the west, and the Sahul Shelf including Australia and New Guinea to the south and east. The total land area of Wallacea is 347,000 km2 (134,000 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Komodo National Park</span> National park in Indonesia

Komodo National Park is a national park in Indonesia located within the Lesser Sunda Islands in the border region between the provinces of East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara. The park includes the three larger islands Komodo, Padar and Rinca, and 26 smaller ones, with a total area of 1,733 km2. The national park was founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard. Later it was dedicated to protecting other species, including marine species. In 1991 the national park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Komodo (island)</span> Island in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Komodo is one of the 17,508 islands that comprise the Republic of Indonesia. It is particularly notable as the habitat of the Komodo dragon, the largest lizard on Earth, which is named after the island. Komodo Island has a surface area of 291 square kilometres, and had a human population of about 1,800 in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rinca</span> Island in Indonesia

Rinca, also known as Rincah, Rindja, Rintja and Pintja, is a small island near Komodo and Flores island, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, within the West Manggarai Regency. It is one of the three largest islands included in Komodo National Park. The island is famous for Komodo dragons, giant lizards that can measure up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) long. Rinca is also populated with many other species such as wild pigs, buffalos and many birds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Rinjani</span> Volcano in Lombok, Indonesia

Mount Rinjani is an active volcano in Indonesia on the island of Lombok. Administratively the mountain is in the Regency of North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. It rises to 3,726 metres (12,224 ft), making it the second highest volcano in Indonesia. It is also the highest point in the Indonesian province of West Nusa Tenggara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flores hawk-eagle</span> Species of bird

The Flores hawk-eagle is a large raptor in the family Accipitridae. It is an endemic species to the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia. A member of the genus Nisaetus, it was considered as a subspecies of and conspecific with the changeable hawk-eagle but genetic studies have evidenced it as a legitimate species. A forest dwelling predator, this species is classified as Critically Endangered due to habitat loss and persecution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wallacean drongo</span> Species of bird

The Wallacean drongo or Greater Wallacean drongo is a species of bird in the family Dicruridae. It can be found in the countries of Indonesia and East Timor. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with the hair-crested drongo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sape Strait</span> Strait in Indonesia

The Sape Strait or Sapie Strait is a strait connecting the Flores Sea to the Sumba Strait. It separates the islands of Sumbawa and Komodo. It joins the Indonesian provinces of West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alas Strait</span> Strait in Indonesia

The Alas Strait is a strait that separates Lombok and Sumbawa, two islands of Indonesia in West Nusa Tenggara province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timor and Wetar deciduous forests</span> Ecoregion in Indonesia and East Timor

The Timor and Wetar deciduous forests is a tropical dry forest ecoregion in Indonesia and East Timor. The ecoregion includes the islands of Timor, Wetar, Rote, Savu, and adjacent smaller islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesser Sunda Islands</span> Group of islands in Indonesian Archipelago

The Lesser Sunda Islands, also known as Nusa Tenggara Islands, are an archipelago in Maritime Southeast Asia. Most of the Lesser Sunda Islands are located within the Wallacea region, except for the Bali province which is west of the Wallace Line and is within the Sunda Shelf. Together with the Greater Sunda Islands to the west they make up the Sunda Islands. The islands are part of a volcanic arc, the Sunda Arc, formed by subduction along the Sunda Trench in the Java Sea. Slightly over 20 million people live on the islands. Etymologically, Nusa Tenggara means "Southeast Islands" from the words of nusa which means 'island' from Old Javanese language and tenggara means 'southeast'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Javan spitting cobra</span> Species of snake

The Javan spitting cobra, also called Indonesian cobra or Komodo spitting cobra, is a species of cobra in the family Elapidae, found in the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia, including Java, Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Komodo, and others.

References

  1. 1 2 "Lesser Sundas deciduous forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  2. 1 2 Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b.
  3. ↑ "Map of Ecoregions 2017". Resolve. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Lesser Sundas deciduous forests". Digital Observatory for Protected Areas. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Lesser Sundas deciduous forests". The Encyclopedia of Earth. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Wikramanayake, Eric; Eric Dinerstein; Colby J. Loucks; et al. (2002). Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: a Conservation Assessment. Washington, DC: Island Press.
  7. ↑ Grubb, P. (2005). "Rusa timorensis". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 670. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  8. ↑ BirdLife International (2020). "Endemic Bird Areas factsheet: Northern Nusa Tenggara." Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/05/2020.
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